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Funding, Events and Opportunities – CATS newsletter

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Internal Funding Opportunity: Future of Therapeutics

The Wellcome has awarded Cambridge University an Institutional Translation Partnership Award (iTPA). Funding of up to £20,000 is available for projects in the remit of the Future of Therapeutics which progress translational interdisciplinary work in the priority areas of Wellcome: Infectious Diseases, Climate and Health and Mental Health. Funding can be used for projects including:

Funding cannot be used to support lab work, studentships and salaries. The Lead Applicant may be a University of Cambridge postdoctoral researcher (holding a contract for the duration of the funding) with a Principal Investigator at the University of Cambridge as a co-applicant. We strongly encourage cross-disciplinary applications. We anticipate that all projects should be completed within 6 months of the award of funding. For more information please contact Caroline Reynolds to arrange to discuss your application. This call is open on a rolling basis.

Wellcome Departmental Translational Awards

Funding of up to £15,000 is available from the Wellcome Institutional Translation Partnership Award (iTPA) for University of Cambridge departments/institutes to support activities related to the translation of basic research into therapeutics, medtech or diagnostics at a departmental level.

Applications should be led by Translational Champions and/or Heads of Departments/Institutes on behalf of their respective departments. Funding of up to £15,000 (inclusive of VAT) can be awarded.

Funding cannot be used for direct support of any specific project within the department, for the procurement of any equipment or consumables, or for any wet lab work. Examples of how funding could be used:

For more details and an initial discussion about your proposal please contact Caroline Reynolds. This call is open on a rolling basis.

Wellcome Access to Expertise Funding Call

Applications are invited for the CATS administrated Access to Expertise call (AtE). Up to £15K (including VAT) can be obtained to support access to external consultancy services for translational research projects. Requested expertise can be, for example, in the form of regulatory advice, market analysis, a business plan or computational and modelling analysis. All University of Cambridge affiliated Principal Investigators are eligible to apply. For further information, please visit the CATS website. If you are considering applying, please contact Dr Juraj Rievaj for an initial discussion about your proposal. There is no deadline for receiving proposals, and applications will be evaluated on first come first served basis.

The Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation (NNUKRF) Call 2023

Deadline for applications: Thursday 2 February

NNUKRF is now inviting applications for research and education funding in diabetes for 2023. The Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation is an independent registered charity that supports research and education in diabetes and invites individuals or departments in the UK working within the field of diabetes to apply for the clinical research awards. It is preferred that applicants work in a patient facing role but this is not essential. Applications for type 1 diabetes projects may be joint funded with JDRF. Application forms and information for applicants is available on the NNUKRF website. Please contact ukresearchfoundation@novonordisk.com with any queries.

Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowships

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 21 February, 4pm

The Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowships give early-career biomedical and medical researchers the chance to meet leading researchers in their field, further their research experience and learn new techniques. This scheme aims to build research links and develop ideas for longer-term collaborations between the UK and the Middle East. Countries included in the scheme are the UK, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories. You must either be based in the UK and plan to work in one of the other countries, or intend to come to a UK institution from one of the other countries.

Applicants will typically be at post-doctoral level and your research may be in any field within biomedical research, but the funding may only be used to support studies that are relevant to human health. The Fellowship will cover airfare and a subsistence allowance for a period of up to four weeks with an upper limit of £4,000 per fellowship. A small number of three-month Fellowships are also available this year with an upper limit of £9,000. Find out more and apply here.

Restricted call: Rosetrees Interdisciplinary Award 2023

Internal deadline for applications: Tuesday 21 February

The Rosetrees Trust has announced the Interdisciplinary Prize 2023, which will fund research on the complex interactions between the human host and infectious agents, ranging from the microbiome to pathogens that include viruses, bacteria and fungi. The project must feature two lead applicants: a biomedical/clinical lead investigator and a non-clinical scientist with expertise in molecular biology, computing, engineering or mathematics. Industrial collaboration is possible but needs careful justification given Rosetrees’ status as a charity. Proposals should include a clear translational strategy to show how novel research could benefit patients within 5-10 years.

Proposals are invited for projects with a value of up to £300,000 over 3 years, which can be used to support any aspect of the proposed research. For more information on eligibility, please click here. To take part in the University’s internal selection process, please submit your nomination(s) via the online form. The funder deadline is the 28 April 2023. If you have any queries, please contact researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Asahi Kasei Pharma Open Innovation in 2023

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 28 February

Asahi Kasei Pharma is calling for new proposals related to drug discovery research. For more information about this call, please click here. Proposals are solicited concerning new drug seeds (drug target and drug candidate) and technologies in the therapeutic fields of autoimmune disease, renal disease, neurodegenerative disease, bone disease and pain, and drug discovery platform technology. Applications can be submitted through the Asahi Kasai Pharma website and further information is also available here.

Wellcome Developing Concept Fund (DCF) call

Deadline for applications: Friday 24 March

The Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences (CATS) would like to announce the opening of the 2023 DCF call. Funding of up to £50,000 (100% direct costs only) for a maximum duration of nine months is available to support early stage translational research from discovery science into new therapies (including repurposing of existing therapies), diagnostics and medical devices.

All Principal Investigators with an affiliation with University of Cambridge are eligible to apply and we encourage early career researchers to apply as co-applicants. This funding is intended to support the generation of initial evidence of efficacy and proof of concept data, prior to seeking substantive downstream funding. If interested, please contact  Caroline Reynolds or Juraj Rievaj to discuss your project plans. The deadline for completed applications is Friday 24 March.

2023 Milner Therapeutics Consortium Call

The Milner Institute are seeking applications for academic-industry research collaborations that can transform pioneering science into therapies. If you have an idea for a potential pre-clinical collaborative project that would benefit from industry expertise and know-how, consider applying for the 2023 Milner Consortium Call! To learn more and download an application form, please [milner.cam.ac.uk/consortiumcall]click here. Proposals are sought that could provide solutions to current challenges in: Neuroscience; Oncology; Immunology & Inflammation; Infectious Disease; Metabolic & Cardiovascular disease; and New Technologies that will aid therapeutic discovery. Pre-clinical projects can range from reagent sharing and 6-month pilots to 2-year funded collaborations and are expected to lead to joint publications with pharma partners. There will be an in-person information session on 25 January. To register, please click here.

Impact Funding Call: All Council Harmonised IAA Rapid Response Call 2022-2025

Deadline for applications: Wednesday 4 September 2024, 4pm

The all-council rapid response IAA call supports a wide range of activities when researchers are confronted by time-sensitive opportunities or need to test new ideas quickly. Funding is open to Principal Investigators employed by the collegiate University with project proposals within the AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC remits. Please note that previous/current UKRI funding is NOT a requirement. Applications from ECRs with PIs as co-applicants are encouraged.

Funding can support multidisciplinary working and/or engagement of external partners, with awards up to £15,000 for projects up to 3 months starting from 12 January 2023-18 October 2024. Proposals could include, for example, feasibility studies to test new ideas for potential further collaboration with external organisations, pump-priming or the commissioning of external specialist advice and consultancy for market research, business planning, technology commercialisation or health economic modelling.?In addition, the fund can support participation in time-sensitive policy workshops and select committees or public engagement activities such as exhibitions or work with schools.

To apply, visit the All-council rapid response IAA webpage for guidance, an expression of interest form and terms and conditions. If you have any queries, please contact Stephanie Swain. Please also contact the Research Strategy Office if you have a potential project which does not fit the timescale or budget for this call, as there may be future?funding?opportunities.

EVENTS

EngBio Forum: Super-Resolution Microscopy

Date: Tuesday 31 January, 5-9pm

Venue: Old Divinity School building, St John’s College, Trinity Street

Register: Here

The EngBio IRC invites you to participate in an exhibition of the upcoming EngBio Forum: Super-Resolution Microscopy on 31 January. There will be two presentations by Prof Stefan Hell (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2014, Max Plank Institute, Germany) and Prof Ricardo Henriques (instituto Gulbenkian, Portugal). This will be followed by a fair including demonstrations, exhibitions and information showcasing scientific excellence. The forum will take place at the Old Divinity School building, St Johns College, Trinity Street which has a large open plan hall. There will be a buffet and drinks while scientists and students network and look around.

Cambridge AI Club for Biomedicine

Date: Thursday 2 February, 6-8pm

Venue: Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, CB2 0AW

The brand new Cambridge AI Club for Biomedicine kicks off on Thursday 2nd February at 6pm in the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre Lecture Theatre. This session will be an informal opportunity to learn more about a particular theme within the field of AI and computational biology, and to meet other researchers with similar interests. Scientists from across Cambridge are welcome to join on the first Thursday of every month, for talks, discussion, and networking over beer and pizza. The first session will centre on the theme ‘Mutational Signature Analysis‘.

Cambridge Precision Breast Cancer Symposium

Date: Friday 10 February, 9am-5pm

Venue: Clare College, Trinity Lane, Cambridge

Register: Here

This symposium will cover the clinical and basic science aspects of several topics relevant to breast cancer, including cancer development and diagnosis, cancer cell biology and the micro-environment, drug target discovery and technology. The latest developments in laboratory and clinical research, challenges in clinical practice, unanswered questions and directions of future research in these fields will be discussed.

The symposium will include elements of interest to a mixed audience including clinicians and scientists (including trainees, students and post-docs), nurses, allied health professionals, breast cancer charities and members of the public.

CATS Funding Opportunities Showcasing Event

Date: Wednesday 15 February, 4-5pm

Venue: Online

Register: Here

In this online event, presenters from Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences (CATS) will showcase various currently open funding calls available for both academics and whole Departments/Institutes affiliated with the University of Cambridge to support the translation of basic research into the development of new or repurposed therapeutics, medical devices or diagnostics. Available non-financial support schemes will also be featured. There will be an opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A session. Everybody is welcome to attend, but the event is best suited for researchers affiliated with University of Cambridge. To register, please click here.

MedTech FUTURES Conference

Date: Wednesday 1 March, 9am-4.30pm

Venue: Hinxton Hall Conference Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1RQ

Register: Here

Posted on 07/02/2023